It has been four years since the hit HBO series, Euphoria, was last on people’s screens. The drama series that has since propelled the careers of actors such as Zendaya, Jacob Elordi and Sydney Sweeney has finally returned this month with its third and reportedly final season. This latest season has been highly anticipated by fans and critics alike, following a mixed response to its last season and a string of production troubles and alleged drama during its four-year hiatus involving the departure of multiple cast members and its composer.
Season three premiered on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, April 12th. Picking up five years since the events of last season, as we follow our protagonist, Rue, played by Zendaya, who has become a drug mule to settle her past debts. However, even with years to plan the third entry into the series, Euphoria still seems to fall into the cracks that it was struggling with since it was last on air.
Even with multiple characters being gone, others, such as Lexi and Jules, still have not had much to do and have had minimal promotion leading up to the premiere, with the character of Jules not even appearing in the season premiere despite being one of the leads. Euphoria has also always been known for its explicit and graphic plots and scenes mixed with its incredibly stylized cinematography and music. Now that the characters have entered adulthood, the scenarios we find them in have also increased in gratuity as well. While some of these scenes are used well to exhibit the dangerous and exploitative scenarios the characters are in. Some scenes also seem to exist to further exploit and sexualize its cast as well.
Following the first two episodes of this latest season, the series has mixed in a brighter and old Hollywood aesthetic to its already stylized appearance. This, along with a new score helmed by Hans Zimmer, who replaces artist Labrinth, who left the series after undisclosed behind-the-scenes drama. Although the music, which has always been a defining part of the series, has changed, it also helps go along with the newer status quo following the show’s time jump.
Despite its four-year hiatus, however, Zendaya remains the best aspect of the series and returns to the role of Rue as if she never left. Her interactions with the various other characters, especially in the second episode of the season, display a lot of promise and anticipation for the next couple of episodes in the season. Other standout performances from just the first two episodes so far also have to be Alexa Demie’s performance of Maddy and the new character Angel, played by Priscilla Delgado.
Although the cracks of the series are still showing, there are still multiple signs of potential in these first two episodes. Seeing how the individual plots can intersect and the anticipation for how the apparent final season will end has many viewers still on the edge of their seats.
